Rating: 
Summary: If it makes you SO mad then it must be good!!!
Review: The fact that so many people (including myself!) are furious about this book is a statement in and of it's self. I first read it a few years ago and I've actually re-read it a few times since. I have vented and vented and vented... sometimes I was angrier with Conn than Gelina had the good sense to be... but never once did I complain about the writing. And not once have I seen anyone else complain about the writing. If we are upset with the characters it's because they were written SO well that we were able to develop an opinion. More than that, I felt that they acted "correctly" for their character all the way through even though it was certainly not romantic... at least, not the typical type. I definitely did feel the sparks through this story and I thought it was a more realistic vision of love than in most stories I've read. The big thing that I think would have changed most of the reviewers (and my own) opinions is the ending... it was SO unsatisfying that it left us all without the reasons to forgive Conn or understand why Gelina forgave him. I think that with a better ending this story could be amazingly powerful... because it already is amazingly powerful it's just that the abrupt ending leaves us frustrated and angry and I think that that is what you're hearing in all these reviews... it's a great, unique story, about wonderfully vivid characters written so well that it inflames the reader... I took emotion away from the book and I've thought back on it several times: I think that that is the true test. This book was NOT fluff and it was not disposable... the characters and their actions and my own emotional opinions haunted me and made me think. Apparently, though, the average romance reader isn't looking for that. (just remember that all my praise comes attached to the acknowledgement that the story does need a more qualified ending). Oddly enough this is one of my favorite books even though every time I read it I get furious all over again. Good writing elicits emotion... not always happy "awww"s, though. And love it's always happy "awww"'s anyway but it is love, even when it's completely messed up.
Rating: 
Summary: Ending needs revision...
Review: I honestly didn't know how to rate this book in the beginning. After the book ended, I didn't even know whether I liked it or not. Thing is, I had to read this book twice in order to get a proper conclusion. Then, I realized it isn't an awful read to deserve lower than 2 stars nor was it a "so-so-not-bad" kind of book to deserve a 3 stars either. I admit, I particularly didn't like the ending of this book. I would have love to see Conn proved his trust, begged or perhaps even 'ask' Gelina for forgiveness and acceptance with more effort, depth and passion. I didn't appreciate the idea of someone as strong-headed and strong-willed as Gelina to simply fall over and forgive after hearing a sweet one-liner from Conn's lips! The Epilogue didn't help much either. Perhaps the ending should be revised. Anyway, The initial plot of this book is a LOVE/HATE relationship. To be honest, it kindda make u feel the same way about the whole story in general too. Conn and Gelina's relationship was melancholy yet luring and intriguing. Heart rending, relief and more heart wretching all throughout the book. What Gelina went through in the hands of Conn-her martyrdom, her confusions, her courage and her love & hatred! She is brave yet she isn't afraid to cry also. That makes her more human in my eyes. I really like her. Conn did a lot of awful things to Gelina that makes my heart ache but then again, she also did her share to infuriate even a Saint. A man's pride, honor and ego can only take so much of a blow! Conn actually did give her chances but then Gelina's young, not to mention that she was shaped to hate Conn from an early age. How can one differentiate love from hatred when both is felt and given in extreme passion? ugh, totally frustrating. A very emotional read. So perhaps this is why I rated this book a 4 stars in the end. I had conflicting emotions, conflicting opinions of this book. It made me think about it even after it was put down. When I was ready to write my review, I read here that there is indeed a lot of controversy about this book. Some hate it, some love it. If an author can pull readers together this way, I say it deserve a higher rating. If not for the abrupt ending, I would have rated this "one of a kind" book a fiver. This is only my third book of Teresa Medeiros but I will most definitely read more of her works. The Ireland setting in this book also piqued my curiosity since most of the historical romance books I've read are in Scotland/Highland-England settings. This love/hate relationship in an Ireland setting was a distinctive and a refreshing change. I like it, so... TRY this book. I won't guarantee that you will find it as I see it but then again you might even enjoy it more than I have. This book is not for everyone. It's all a matter of taste and preferences.
Rating: 
Summary: I was as divided by this story ...
Review: about as much as the hero and heroine were divided against each other! I don't know. I think the author must have been pissed off at something when writing this book. It was violent and had little humor (except for Nimbus - no pun intended). The sex was so unsensual and stirred nothing but remorse in me. I thought, OK, Gelina is a warrior. Conn gets shipped off to Rome and I thought Gelina would rise up and defend his kingdom against his enemies and when he came back he would find this mighty woman. Alas, the book did not go the journey I had wanted. At every turn, it showed how petty Gelina really was and how Conn abused her. I am really not bothered by the older man thing, however. In fact, I rather like an older man in a romance book. When Gelina gets shipped off and Conn treats her so horribly I thought he would find out the error of his way and then go and woo Gelina back for his sins. Alas, the book once again did not go the journey I had wanted. Conn shows so little remorse at the ending I have to wonder what the author was thinking. I certainly wasn't wooed back by his bad behavior!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderfully lyrical novel of ancient Ireland
Review: Lady of Conquest is the first Teresa Medeiros book I ever read and it's the book that made me her most loyal and devoted fan. Conn and Gelina's story is the story of first love that lasts a lifetime and nothing is more wonderful or magical than that! Thank you, Teresa Medeiros, for introducing me to Conn and Gelina and to your magical vision of what romance is all about.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre
Review: This story, while the writing is colorful and descriptive a la Medeiros style, definately needed improvement. The plotline is melodramatic, the ending poorly thought-out, and the relationship between Gelina and Conn? Absolutely exasperating. Conn is a dominating and selfish bleeeeep, and Gelina, despite an outward facade of the strong and independent female, is truly a meek and mild girl simpering for Conn's affections. There seems to be a lot of misconstruting of the so-called 'rape' scene in this book. I'll just say this: Yes, Conn does say, "You have no right to refuse me; I'm your king". However, Gelina responds with a submissive and dispassionate attitude that leads one to believe that she wasn't exactly adverse to being taken advantage of. Great heroine, huh? Secondly- Gelina is only 16 when the story starts, and around 17 when it ends (I believe), while Conn is most certainly double her age, possibly more. Perhaps that was the time frame Medeiros was striving for; myself, it made me gag. Bottom line: Gelina should have married Nimbus- he treated her well, was sweet, caring, and funny, and his one shortcoming (pardon the pun) was that he was too short. Second bottom line: worth a read for the writing alone; the story itself leaves more than something to be desired.
Rating:
Summary: HATE THE "HERO"
Review: I love most of her books, but what was up with this one. I know; it was one of her earlier ones....but still. This started off ok. But, the guy is old enough to be her grandad. He also, is a fool and a raper. Unless you want to read a sad book that breaks a strong willed women who gets ruined by her hero then by all means read this said story. It is entertaining, yet you want to throw the book, or flush it down a toilet once your done it. I have this to say to Conn- boys can be boys, men can't
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing.
Review: "Lady of Conquest" good enough had a good enough start but for some reason it just dropped off about halfway though. I kept reading though, thinking, "Oh, look, Conn makes another wildy off-base assumption and tries to kill Gelina for 'betraying' him again." I didn't think that the author could continue to recycle the same completely unoriginal plot twist over and over -- and yet she could and did at every available opportunity. "Oh look! Conn thinks Gelina's betrayed him! WHAT A SUPRISE, I NEVER SAW THAT COMING!" [SPOILERS] The part where I almost stopped reading completely was when Nimbus is offed at the wedding and Conn immediately looks at Gelina despite the overwehlming evidence to indicate otherwise. Nimbus was her best friend, it was her wedding, she ran in to warn everybody because of the buckle she found, and her psycho brother is still on the loose. So what does Conn, our well-adjusted hero to the very end, do? He immediately locks her up and wants her either killed or banished. Way to go, Conn. Way to go. The other frightening element of this book was the fact that Conn rapes her, what -- two, three times? The love-hate relationship really started weirding me out when it got to him basically raping her. Especially near the end. I can see a loving relationship all down the road for them. (Had the book continued past where Medeiros left it, I could picture it going something like this: "Conn decided he needed Gelina very much and they were in True Love. Until two minutes later when she went to brush lint off his shoulder and he realized by this motion that she was actually going to kill him so he raped her and stuck her in the dungeon.") All in all, this book is a very disappointing read and not just a little bit creepy. Pass it up and try one of Medeiros' other books.
Rating: 
Summary: Follow up after reading all the other reviews
Review: Ok, I read all 43 reviews and I'm not sure anymore that we were all reading the same book, excatly when was there love in this book? The hero was abusive, and yes the heroine was a little flighty but she was like 14 at first, its understandable. I honestly did not see love in it, Conn is nice to gelina like one time when she is still his foster daughetr and thats it. I had to add this review because reading that so many people thought the book was fantastic and touching and breathtaking, etc. seriously worries me. Do that many women in this country think that abuse equals love? I've read hundreds (if not more) of romances, and ive seen almost everytime of relationship possible, and never has a hero been as abusive to the heroine. I mean the man raped her REPEATEDLY!! If you liked the book because you couldn't stop reading it, tyhen sure, I couldn't stop reading it either, but if you think that is love, then I'm really worried for you. And finally, rape has no place in romance, it is one of the worst crimes, if not the worst, perpetrated against women, and the impression on the victim lasts forvever. Obviously the authors that incorporate it in their books have never experienced it themselves, those who actually had I'm sure would not so trivialize it.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't believe people rated this book highly
Review: I actually came on amazon expecting to see how badly everyone else rated this book, i CANNOT BELEIVE THAT IT WAS RATED WELL!!!!This was the most sadistic, unbeleiveable book i ever read. I stayed u till dawn reading it just to see where it would go and if it would get better and it never did. Ignore the fact that the hero is like 35 yrs older than the heroine, and is actually her foster father, the book is just violent. The hero physically, emotionally, and verbally abuses the heroine constanty, at one point he rapes her, which for some reason many readers dont find disgusting in their romance novels, and then after being all apologetic, he tries to force her to be his mistress, and then later TRIES TO RAPE HER AGAIN! He accuses her of being a murderer without askin if she did it, then banishes her to this tiny island in the middle of the lake, cutting her off from the rest of the world, and all this is supposed to be forgiven when on the last page of the book all he says is "I will alaways love you" and suddenly its all ok! He doesn't apologize for his behavior, his mistrust, for even trying to rape her agian, but hey, he said he loved her so that must make up for it!? If this book had ended with the heroine leaving the hero and going to America, I probably would have liked it alot more. If there had been any explanation from the hero for his behavior, I would have liked it better still. After all the violenec and hate that takes place, the author raps it all up in only one page! "Lady of Conquest" didn't read like a romance, it was more like the sadistic relationship between a women and her abusive husband which should have ended with the woman finally escaping. If this had been a true life story the heroine's relatives and friends would have been begging her to leave her husband, and if it had been modern times someone would probably have called the national woman's abuse hotline! I don't know what other readers think love is, but this is NOT it! I would never read this book again, it was horribly disturbing and I cringe at the thought of ever having to pick it up again.
Rating:
Summary: reluctantly drawn
Review: While Medeiros is my favorite writer of romance and generally excellent historical fiction, this book left me with a bad taste in my mouth and a fear of ever being as "in love" as these two characters. This book shows a classic example of a horribly abusive mean-spirited relationship. While these two could have had a good relationship, the choices they made and the truly intense hatred they show for one and other would make me want to end up far from seeing them written into a lasting love. I wouldn't wish their brand of love on my worst enemy. Violence reigns in their story. I would never reread it.
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